Water pollution can come from many different sources such as garbage, lawn clippings, and urban runoff that includes oil and heavy metals from roads, animal and human feces, and pesticides and nitrates from home gardening or agricultural operations.

Unlike sewers, storm drains are not connected to treatment plants. Water and pollution that runs off of streets and land flows directly into creeks and the ocean without being filtered or treated. In our north county, storm drain runoff is directed into open spaces where it infiltrates into the ground.

Water pollution is a serious problem because it causes changes in the biological, physical and chemical characteristics of a water body. Some attributes of water that are affected by pollution are pH, acidity, dissolved oxygen content, nutrient or sediment load and the presence or absence of pathogens. Changes in these attributes caused by pollution can harm aquatic life, create unpleasant odors and, in the case of pathogens, many cause disease in humans that come into contact with the water.

You can help keep our creeks, beaches and parks clean by doing these 9 Simple Things and by learning more from the information provided through the links below.